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Here Comes Controversy: Hobbyists 3D Print Automatic Weapons

An interesting and controversial story was published by Atomic MPC this week involving hobbyists designing and 3D printing automatic weapons.

In the wake of the tragic shooting in Colorado earlier this week, the Atomic forums entered a discussion on gun control and gun laws not only in Australia but the USA. Naturally as conversation progresses the topic goes off track a little, and one Atomican discovered a forum discussing the manufacture of AR15 lower receivers.

At first glance some readers, and especially gun enthusiasts may say “so what, why is this any different to making your own car parts?”. Well, the answer really is very simple, an engine part is not an object designed with the specific purpose of forging a weapon, a lower receiver is for the most part, is destined for such duties.

Look back at the 1993 film In The Line of Fire, starring Clint Eastwood and John Malkovich, and you will see a fanatic who creates a gun out of plastic molds. That was well before MakerBot got its start. Dangerous people will always find ways to hurt others. Technology does not accelerate this trend.

3D printing will have a revolutionary impact on our society, spanning industries from medical to logistics to entertainment. We hope to see, and report on, many more stories about the positive applications of this technology.